Syrians out to vote, the photos speak for themselves

Reports are flooding social media on the masses of Syrians participating (joyfully, singingly!) in the democratic elections in Syria today. On May 28 and 29, like images and reports abounded from around the world, in the countries which did not close Syrian embassies and prevent democracy.

The Damascus airport is reportedly packed with Syrians from abroad who’ve come for one day to simply cast their votes, unable to do so in the countries in which they reside, either because there is no Syrian embassy or because their right to vote has been vetoed by democracy-loving Presidents and PMs. Lebanon’s crossing into Syria was flooded with Syrians wishing to vote. Many tried to do so on May 28 & 29, but while the embassy did extend voting for an entire second day, they were still not able to accommodate all the Syrians waiting to vote. Time will tell whether these Syrians at the Lebanese crossing were permitted to enter Syria to vote, but from reports in previous days, it looks unlikely that the Lebanese authorities have allowed Syrians here to go to Syria, without consequences to their future residency in Lebanon.

An American Syrian FB friend from Lattakia[referring to Lilly Martin], wrote earlier; I am with an International Election Observer delegation: many from USA, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. I am not the only American on the team in Latakia, they flew in from Damascus this morning and Mayor picked them up at the airport. My colleague Paul is in Homs, and we have people all over Syria.

This is the polling place next to my home, it is an elementary school. The atmosphere was really nice, and many people voting. The procedures were all followed and there were observers watching that everything was done correctly. No one asked who you voted for, and everything was private. Those are the keys to free voting, to allow people to have privacy to mark their own ballot, as they like. Then the ballot was placed by the voter into a white envelope, so when they put it into the box, no one could see who the voter had voted for. Privacy and a pleasant atmosphere.

Another friend did caution that people are casting their votes and hurrying away from voting stations, due to threats made yesterday by armed terrorist groups in Syria that they would attack voting stations. But that said, the photos filling web pages show a people determined to decide their country’s future, determined to choose their own leader rather than have an exile leader delivered by the West. [see also: Is Washington Planning a Terrorist Operation against Syria on the Day of the Elections?]

“Today is a decisive one for Syria history, ” Syria presidency candidate, Mr. Maher al-Hajar stresses.
“Syria is a sovereign state, we are free and no one decides our affairs instead of us. Syrians’ freedom by electing their president is the most important matter.”

Below are a collection of photos gleaned from the internet, with sources and venues when possible.

International Journalism Award From Mexican Press Club March 2017

about me

Eva Bartlett is an independent writer and rights activist with extensive experience in Syria and in the Gaza Strip, where she lived a cumulative three years (from late 2008 to early 2013). She documented the 2008/9 and 2012 Israeli war crimes and attacks on Gaza while riding in ambulances and reporting from hospitals.
Since April 2014, she has visited Syria 7 times, including two months in summer 2016 and one month in Oct/Nov 2016 and her latest visit in June 2017 (to Aleppo, Homs, al-Waer, Madaya, al-Tall, Damascus).
Her early visits included interviewing residents of the Old City of Homs, which had just been secured from militants, and visiting historic Maaloula after the Aramaic village had been liberated of militants. In December 2015, Eva returned to old Homs to find life returning, small shops opened, some of the damaged historic churches holding worship anew, and citizens preparing to celebrate Christmas once again.
On her 5th visit in June-August 2016, she went twice to Aleppo, also visiting Palmyra, Masyaf, Jableh, Tartous, and Barzeh district of Damascus, as well as returning again to Maaloula and Latakia.
On her sixth visit to Syria, in October and November, she visited Aleppo twice more, as well as areas around Damascus. The testimonies Eva gathered in Aleppo starkly contrasted narratives corporate media had been asserting.
Many of her published Syria writings, videos, photos can be found at this link:
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/syria/